


Fired

by QueenoftheFriendzone



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic, Fluff and Humor, Gen, I dunno I wasn't thinking about the timeline when I wrote this, Merlin's injured, Semantics, attempt at fluff and humor, but Arthur's king now, probably post-S4, what's the difference between a sorcerer and a warlock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-08-15 12:12:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8055862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenoftheFriendzone/pseuds/QueenoftheFriendzone
Summary: Merlin's gotten himself hurt protecting the king again, and frankly, Arthur's quite tired of it. Maybe if he fired Merlin, that pesky manservant'd stop pretending that he's not using magic?





	Fired

**Author's Note:**

> This plot started on a whim, really. Merlin magic reveal fics are always so fun to imagine and write :)
> 
> I posted this like, ages ago on FFN. Then I took it down and cleaned it up and published it here. Hopefully it's better this time!

"You're firing me?"

Merlin lays on the bed in Gaius' chambers, swathed in bandages, weak as a lamb.

Arthur, doesn't quite understand just how Merlin can look so indignant, angry and hurt all while laying there as still as a log - his extensive injuries and bandages severely restrict his movements, the self-sacrificing idiot - but he's pulling it off, and very successfully too.

"You're  _firing_ me? You're firing  _me_?" Merlin says, voice tinged with disbelief, and rising steadily.

Arthur sighs impatiently. "Yes, yes, and  _yes._ I'm firing you, you useless toad of a servant! Get it into that thick skull of yours. You-" point "-are no longer-" point "-going to be-" point "-my servant."

"Oh." 

Merlin visibly deflates (again,  _how?_ ). His body seems to crumble, collapsing in disappointment. "Oh," Merlin mumbles, "okay."

A fragment of guilt rises within Arthur, but he pushes it away. It is hardly the time to wince at the emotional backlash his announcement might have on Merlin because he has more to say. He steps closer. He wants really badly to see Merlin's reaction.

"And I'm rehiring you as Court Sorcerer!" 

For a moment, Merlin's face is an full canvas of emotion. There's panic and joy and excitement and a thousand other emotions in full Merlin-intensity and it's beautiful.

Arthur starts to speak again. He want to talk about the policies that have to be changed, measures taken to fully integrate magic back into Camelot, how he found out about Merlin's magic in the first place.

Then Merlin's face goes strangely blank. It's now cool and emotionless and empty. "My apologies, Sire," he says, voice not quite steady, "but I'm afraid that will not be possible."

It's Arthur's shoulders' turn to droop, but he hides it quickly. Kings do not express their feelings so loosely, especially not to sneaky manipulative sorcerers who have just been fired. But for the life of him, Arthur can't figure out just why Merlin would turn down such a position of honour. He had thought about for months since he'd found out. It had been the perfect plan! Merlin could now practice his magic freely, and still protect him, which was what Merlin wanted...right?

His mind is screaming. Why? How could you? Instead, he says, "why not?" He tries to sound merely curious, and not like a petulant, whining child.

Merlin's face shifts, subtly, but Arthur knows that the scrunched brow and loose chin means Merlin thinks that between the two of them, he's the idiot. "Because," he says slowly, as if explaining a particularly simple concept to a child, "I am not a  _sorcerer_." When Arthur starts to protest, he continues, "I'm a warlock! Difference."

With that, Merlin's goofy, carefree smile is back. 

Arthur has great plans for magic and for Merlin, when he recovers, but currently, he is undecided on whether to send Merlin to the stocks as his Court Sorcerer ("Warlock!") or withdraw the promotion and get him to muck out the stables as a servant.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that's the end of it!
> 
> I actually have no idea how Merlin got so badly injured, or how Arthur knows about the magic. If you guys want, I could write a prequel or sequel or whatever.
> 
> As always, feedback is appreciated! <3


End file.
